The Jellicle Oath
by rovalo
Summary: When a Jellicle reaches adulthood, they are made to recite an oath to ensure the safety of those living in the junkyard. Follow the lives of three kittens, watching them grow and partake in mysterious adventures. In time, the oath will affect these kittens, but in what ways? Rated T for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1: Pekes and Pollicles

_The Jellicle Oath_

_Chapter One – Pekes and Pollicles_

A loud squeal filled the junkyard, followed by an indignant "Rumsy! Don't do that! I almost fell!" A small Maine Coon poked his head out of a disposed tire, laughing as he did so.

"Don't do what? Scare you? You're such a 'fraidy-cat Sanza!" Almost as soon as the words tumbled out of his mouth, a tiny white kitten resembling a ball of fluff landed on the larger kitten's back. "Argh, get off me! Everlasting Cat, your claws are sharp! Get off Sanza or I'll tell Jenny!"

A soft chuckling could be heard from behind the two. "And what will you tell her Tugger? That you spooked Sanza and almost made her fall off the rubbish pile?" The speaker, one of the older kittens in the junkyard, was a black and white cat who had situated himself quite comfortably on an old wooden rocking chair. "Anyway, where's your other partner in crime? Isn't he usually present to break up any of your little spats?"

The adolescent stood and slowly stretched, still stiff from his afternoon nap. He jumped from the chair and padded slowly towards the two troublemakers, yawning as he did so. "It's odd. I don't think I've actually ever seen you two without him. What gives?"

"Oh," the smallest of the three squeaked, "I think I hear Jenny calling us, right Rumsy?" nudging her friend in what looked to be a conspiring way. The cat in question quickly straightened up his posture, nodding his head rapidly.

"Yeah, I think so. Quick, let's hurry before she gets annoyed with us!" They ran off quickly, but not without yelling a departing farewell to their elder. They seemed to trust that he wouldn't tell one of the older cats of their quarrel. Alonzo merely raised an eyebrow at their antics, his whiskers twitching in amusement. The black and white tom was again alone, left to figure out the kitten's mischievous expressions as well as the whereabouts of the third member of the tiny trio. Alonzo scratched his head with a dusty paw. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen Munkustrap at all that day. Somewhat worried, Alonzo stalked out of the small clearing and into a much larger one in order to have a look around for the missing kit.

A cold voice stopped him in his tracks. "Oi! Alonzo! Where are ya' goin'? Me and Mac were about to find some rats to mess with. Want to join us?" The speaker, a strong white tom commonly referred to as Octavius, was Sanza's older and more volatile brother. His face, though still retaining some soft fur from his kittenhood, was set in a permanent sneer which often brought about trouble. Unlike his sister, Octavius had a dark nature which, when paired with Macavity, was a force to be reckoned with. The only similar quality the two siblings shared was their white coat and fluffy tails.

Alonzo turned slowly, as if to prolong the time he had in which he didn't have to look at Octavius' face. When faced with the pair he noticed that the quieter of the two, Macavity, had what looked like a large decapitated rat in his mouth. Inwardly shuddering, Alonzo declined their invitation, still wanting to search for the missing kitten.

"Have you guys seen Munkustrap by any chance? It's odd, he's always playing with Sanza and Tugger but today he's nowhere to be found," Alonzo inquired the two cats politely, not wanting to cause any trouble.

Hearing this, Macavity spoke for the first time, the dead rat still hanging from his jaws. "That little runt? Nah, we haven't seen the waste of space since last night when I gave him a bollocking. The little wuss is probably crying somewhere, upset that he's too much of a wimp to become the Jellicle protector." He spoke with a mocking tone, "You know, it's so embarrassing having a twit like him in the family."

Alonzo laughed nervously at the juveniles, shakily nodding his head. "Right, well I best be off. I promised Cassandra that I would visit her today and I don't want a repeat of what happened last week when I forgot." The duo laughed heartily at this statement and bid their farewells, finishing with an "If you see my brother, give him a wallop around the head for me!"

With a heaving sigh, Alonzo walked to an old couch where Cassandra was usually found, intending on getting her to help him with his search.

* * *

On the other side of the clearing, two impish kittens were crawling through a large pipe towards a TSE1, a car that had clearly been in the junkyard much longer than the kits. As they slinked through the pipe, the only sound that could be heard was the soft pad of their paws against the concrete and their somewhat muffled breathing. The pipe helped to both conceal the kits from the prying eyes of their elders, as well as shading them from the overbearingly bright sun which was generally an uncommon occurrence in the United Kingdom.

A quiet voice then spoke up, almost destroying the harmonious silence. "Rumsy," the kitten whispered with a tinge of fear in her voice. The tom remained silent, provoking Sanza into repeating his name in a louder and more persistent voice.

"RUMSY!" The Maine Coon whipped his head around and glared at the young Turkish Angora, whilst wondering how such a loud noise could come from such a small creature. He mumbled an incoherent response as turned back around and discretely poked his head out of the pipe. The kitten, determined not to be ignored, silently came up beside the tom, conveniently placing her muzzle beside his ear and yelled, "RUM TUM TUGGER!" The male kitten jumped up, almost hitting the roof of the pipe, his fur on end and claws unsheathed.

The kitten let out loud peals of laughter following Tugger's reaction to her scare whilst he, in an attempt to regain some of his lost dignity, turned his face away from her and lifted his nose in disdain.

"Anyway," started the young queen, after regaining some of her composure, "I just wanted to know, well, er, do you think he's okay?" The kit seemed fearful, looking around wildly before continuing. "He's the only one of us who's been out of the junkyard alone, and he didn't tell any of the elders! What if a pollicle gets him..or..or maybe Macavity will find out and.."

Tugger abruptly cut her off, quashing her worries. "He'll be fine Sanza, he just wanted to let off some steam. You know how he gets after Macavity picks on him. He's a tough kit. Why're you so scared anyway? He's been out there before. Maybe not without one of the elders, but he'll be able to handle himself. He isn't stupid!" The larger kitten pulled his ears back slightly in annoyance before finishing. "If anything, he'll be able to handle it better than both of us put together."

Looking at him through large, tearful green eyes, Sanza sniffled then straightened up, wiping all sadness from her face with a large grin. "He might be able to handle it better than you, but not me! You couldn't scare away a pollicle!" She giggled somewhat hysterically and then said, "Well, you couldn't scare him away with your claws, but definitely with your face!"

The tom pulled an affronted face before snapping back at the kitten. "My face is perfect! You're just jealous because you're a hideous little beast! Besides," he added childishly, "A pollicle would eat you like the little rodent you are; you're no match for one of them. Now, be quiet! We don't want to be caught by Jelly or Jenny." The white kit huffed in response and stuck her head out of the pipe, deeming a crouching position.

"Quick Sanz, the coast is clear! Just follow my lead." Tugger hastily leapt off the edge of the pipe, jumping onto the TSE1 with grace only a feline could manage. Bounding off the car, closely followed by Sanza, the tom raced through the clearing and disappeared through a small gap in a rubbish pile, large enough only for kittens to shimmy through. The pair leapt out of the pile with renewed vigour after realizing they hadn't yet been caught, running alongside various forgotten items that humans had thrown away in the past. The twosome quickly came across a large wooden fence which had surrounded the junkyard for many generations. It was warped and broken in places, allowing for easy access into and out of the junkyard for smaller cats and kittens. The larger cats, however, would have to either jump the towering barrier, or walk to the front entrance where a Jellicle cat was usually situated during the day.

The kittens, humming with excitement, raced over to the fence and hurriedly shimmied beneath one of the broken panels, only to stand in awe once they escaped the junkyard. They enthusiastically looked around their new surroundings, taking in deep, gulping breaths, as if they were afraid that their new domain would disappear within seconds. Their amazement was short-lived, however, when they heard frantic scampering of paws and vicious barking.

"GET IN! Go back inside!" The speaker was none other than the missing kitten, Munkustrap himself. The kit was on the other side of the road being chased by large, savage pollicles who looked like they wanted nothing more than to eat the poor tabby for lunch. "Go back in! Quick!" The kittens, frozen in shock at the scene, were jerked back to reality and quickly ducked back into the gap in the fence they originally came through.

Sanza, the ever-loyal feline, stuck her head back out of the gap and yelled to her friend, "Cross the road Munkus, you can get in over here!" The cat she was referring to quickly looked across to her, changing his direction as he did so in order for him to get to the opening and to safety. However, in his rush to get back to his friends, the silver and black tabby did not notice the oncoming car. He raced across the road, the ferocious beasts right on his tail, slobbering and snarling behind him. The vehicle was fast approaching but it appeared that the driver had noticed the animals crossing the road, albeit a moment too late. The breaks of the car were put in motion and a loud screeching of tyres ensued, which was followed by a muted thud. When the vehicle finally reached a halt, an elderly man climbed out to observe the damage. With a slight gasp and a soft cooing sound, the man shrugged off his coat and draped it over whatever the car had hit.

"Munkus?" A tiny voice squeaked, "Munkustrap? Are you okay?" Though the growling of the canines had stopped, the kittens were still immensely worried for their friend. "Munkustrap, please answer!" Tugger, who stood in shock, suddenly snapped to attention upon hearing the growing hysteria in the little queen's voice.

"Sanza. Stay here, I'll go check." He walked through the fence for the second time that day, sniffing lightly at the air with his ears back and his coat on end. "Munkustrap?" he called lightly, still treading softly to the vehicle.

"I'm over here Rumsy!" a soft groan was emitted from the kitten who Tugger still could not see. "Everlasting Cat, that was terrifying. One of the pollicles knocked me over when they were trying to get away from the car and I thought it was going to hit into me!" A slight rustling noise could be heard and Munkustrap walked out from behind the human, who incidentally was carrying a dog-sized mound to the back of his car. Tugger gave Munkustrap a once over, and decided that although he was shaking from both fear and exhilaration, he was unharmed.

"MUNKUS! MUNKUS! You're alive! I don't know what I would've done if you weren't." Sanza babbled as she ran over to the toms and looked for any injuries on the tabby. The kittens walked back through the fence and took the long route back to the main clearing. The toms looked at each other in amusement as the queen continued talking, occasionally nudging the silver tabby with her shoulder.

"Why were you being chased anyway Munkus? You told us you'd be careful! We were really worried!" The kitten twitched his tail nervously before launching into his story.

"Well, I was just walking around on the street, minding my own business, when I overheard these huge pollicles talking about something that happened the other night. You know that night when we heard the barking? Well, apparently the big pollicles met up with the little pollicles, who are known as pekes or something like that, and they had this big barking fight! The next bit is the interesting bit though, guess who they mentioned?" Munkustrap took a huge breath at this point and started to grin wildly at his two friends, "They were talking about the Rumpus Cat! Apparently he jumped in and scared all the dogs away!"

At this point, the three kittens had found their way to the main clearing and were walking towards the rusty TSE1, which was often referred to as their spot by the other cats due to the amount of time they spent on, or in it.

"What's that got to do with why they were chasing you?" Tugger questioned, jumping on top of the old car. The other two kittens made their way up and once they comfortably settled themselves, Tugger started to groom himself and Munkustrap continued his tale.

"Well, I think it was 'cause I started laughing when he said that they got scared away! I might have, er, said that pollicles were chickens and afraid of all cats. When they saw me, they had a really mean look in their eyes and they started chasing me. They didn't look so big from further away." The kitten flicked his tail back and forth at the memory, his ears laid back. Upon seeing his reaction, Sanza scooted closer to him and nuzzled him softly with her head until he let out a soft purr.

"Ah, there you are Munkustrap! We've been looking all over for you! Alonzo's been worried sick." Cassandra's soft voice broke through the silence. The Abyssinian was being followed by Alonzo, who had a sheepish look on his face, and their friend Exotica.

"Where have you been?" The black and silver tabby looked towards two of his closest friends before replying with a mysterious smile.

"Oh, I was just exploring."


	2. Chapter 2: Deserted

_Chapter Two – Deserted_

Four days after the pollicle incident found the kittens relaxing in the junkyard after a storm the previous day. Munkustrap and Tugger were sitting on the TSE1 watching their younger friend Sanza with amusement as she played with a damp, discarded teddy-bear significantly larger than her. The queen was biting what looked like an ear and kicking her hind legs into its cotton-filled stomach, letting out a few well-placed growls at her inanimate enemy.

"Sanz, it's not going to attack you." Munkustrap chuckled with merriment, raising an eyebrow at her antics. The white kit growled before replying testily.

"I know that Munkus, I'm not stupid! I'm just practicing for when I get into real fight!" Her fluffy tail flicked restlessly, showing her agitation. "Besides, you two won't play with me and I'm bored!" The kitten seemed to be annoyed at both of the young toms, who were acting like they were too mature to play with her. Tugger, who loved provoking Sanza whenever he got the chance, took this opportunity to tease the gullible youngster.

"Why would we play with an annoying baby like you?" Tugger sniggered, nudging the tabby beside him, hoping he would join in. "I mean, we only hang out with you because you're funny looking and it amuses us." Sanza looked up at the toms, a look of shock on her face. Her sorrow filled eyes settled on Munkustrap.

"Do you really think that about me?" The queen whispered, tears threatening to spill. Without waiting for an answer, Sanza ran from them in the direction of the den she shared with Octavius before they could see the salty tears coating her muzzle and whiskers. However, instead of going inside her den to weep, the little kitten ran to the one part of the yard which had been deserted due to hazards which caused many accidents in the past.

Sniffling somewhat, Sanza walked deep into the uninhabited area of the junkyard, twisting around a maze of scrap in order to find a place for her to cry in peace. When she found a relatively secluded area far enough away from the rest of the tribe, she started to climb one of the piles of junk until she could find a spot where she was able to see if anyone was coming near her. Due to her grievance and in her hurry to get away from the toms, the young queen did not realise that she had entered the area that was banned from_ all_ Jellicles except those who protected the tribe.

As the kit was nearing the top of the pile, a loud creaking noise signalled the instability of the structure. Upon hearing the sound, Sanza stood still for a second to regain her bearings before looking around fearfully. She hadn't realised she had walked that far away from the tribe, especially to such unfamiliar ground. Looking around once more, Sanza began to quickly walk down the pile, intending on getting back to the tribe as fast as she could. In her haste, the queen didn't notice an unstable piece of metal that was still wet from the previous day's storm. Not realising that the metal was slippery, the queen stood upon it and then slipped into a piece of wood that stuck out at an odd angle, causing the structure to wobble threateningly. Feeling the sudden movement beneath her feet, the kitten quickly jerked back in fright, which did nothing to aid the situation. The tower of scrap trembled more and began to fall in on itself. The structure collapsed, taking the fluffy queen down with it.

* * *

"I can't believe you did that. She was so upset and you _know_ how naïve she is!" Four hours after the incident, Munkustrap was still infuriated with Tugger for being so cold towards Sanza, even if he meant it as a joke.

"I hope she's okay. It's pouring out here." The two kittens were peering out of the bonnet of the car they were sitting on earlier that day, watching some of the remaining junkyard cats running to shelter. "I think it's even worse than yesterday." The Maine Coon grunted in agreement before continuing their previous conversation.

"I didn't think she'd take it so badly. I was only teasing." The larger kitten covered his eyes with his paws, groaning softly. "Oh Heaviside. I've really messed up, haven't I?" As this was said, a flash of lightning lit the sky followed by loud bouts of thunder, causing both kittens to whimper and move closer to one another, fearing for their safety. If possible, the rain seemed to pour even heavier than before, so much so that the kittens could barely see anything outside except drops of water and occasional shadows.

Tugger sighed before changing topics. "Hey, isn't your brother doing the oath recital tomorrow?" Nodding slightly in confirmation, Munkustrap moved closer to the edge of the car boot, intending on sticking his head outside. He jumped back a little as another bout of thunder ensued, but then crawled forward once again.

"What are you doing? Straps, come back-you can't go out there!" Looking at his worried friend with a grimace, his eyes flashing in the darkness, Munkustrap replied softly with a slight edge to his voice.

"I have to. Sanza might be out there. We have to look." Munkustrap positioned himself to jump off the TSE1 before being startled by another cat pouncing up and into the boot of the vehicle. The cat was slightly older than the kits, being the same age as Alonzo. In fact, this adolescent, Admetus, was Alonzo's best friend.

The tom was soaked to the bone and looked absolutely miserable from being outside in the rain. "I hope you two don't mind me in here, it was the driest and closest place I could think of to go." At this point everything in the junkyard was completely soaked and the originally small puddles were now abnormally large, partially flooding the junkyard. Admetus looked wearily outside, shaking his coat lightly, sending droplets of water all over the two younger toms.

"It looks like we're going to be stuck in here for a while." And with that, Admetus curled into a ball and promptly fell asleep. Tugger quickly followed, falling into a deep slumber with a slight snore. Munkustrap, however, stood staring outside for a good while longer before tiredness eventually overtook him and he drifted into an unconsciousness that was filled with brutal nightmares.

* * *

The following day was slightly brighter than the first, though it still seemed to be murky as there were thick, dark clouds covering almost every inch of the sky, indicating that it would rain once again. The yard was somewhat flooded as predicated, although the areas with a higher incline were only slightly damp. This seemed to be good enough for the Jellicles, specifically Old Deteronomy and Gus. The two aged toms were talking to one another about the upcoming oath ceremony which was going to be taken within the hour.

"Do you think he's ready Deut, my old friend?" The smaller cat's paws shook slightly as he spoke, "'I know he is of age, but I don't know if he is of the right mind yet to take it."

Deuteronomy looked at his closest friend in slight annoyance and said, "I know, I know. However, he is an adult now and if he is to become a true Jellicle, then he must pledge this oath to show his loyalty to his friends and family. If he does not do it soon, I fear he may choose the wrong path." Sighing softly he added, "I admit, it is hard for him. Both he and Munkustrap grew up without parents. Munkustrap was in more need of a mother than Macavity at that stage as he was not yet weaned, but I suppose Macavity could use a mother figure now more than ever. He hasn't really bonded with anyone other than Octavius and that is slightly worrying."

The theatre cat nodded solemnly, "I do understand. I do. I suppose that's all we can do then—go through with it." The two cats sat in silence for the remainder of the hour until the Jellicles started arriving, perching themselves in any dry spot they could. The topic of their previous conversation—a large tom with an unkempt ginger coat walked up to the two with a certain swagger and defiant gleam in his eye.

"So are we going to start it or what? I want this over and done with." The young cat halted in front of the two, looking at them with both mild pity and disgust.

"Yes. Well," Deuteronomy looked around at the Jellicles before continuing, "let us begin." Looking deep into Macavity's eyes, the Jellicle leader asked him to begin the oath which he was meant to have learnt in the days before the ceremony. A minute into the oath recital, Macavity was interrupted by two kittens who had just woken up.

"Deuteronomy! Deuteronomy! Sanza is missing! We can't find her—she left yesterday and she hasn't come back!" Munkustrap looked frantic as he relayed this to his best friend's father.

Tugger looked just as worried as Munkustrap, his tail flicking nervously and eyes wide with worry. "Dad, it's my fault! I was horrible to her and she ran away and now we can't find her!" At this, the kitten's eyes started to fill with unshed tears, something which was very uncharacteristic of him.

Jennyanydots, the cat who had been mothering Sanza since she arrived at the junkyard, spoke up. "I haven't seen her either. She comes twice a day to feed and I didn't see her last night or this morning. She could be hurt!" Skimbleshanks nuzzled Jenny comfortingly, attempting to sooth the queen who was becoming somewhat hysterical. The other Jellicles became frantic with worry until the current Jellicle Protector, Jonahel, spoke up.

"We'll have to go out in groups to look for her. This half," he said, motioning towards the group on his left with a brown paw, "they come with me to look for her at the front of the yard. The others will look for her around the back end."

Before the cats left, Deuteronomy spoke. "I'm sorry Macavity, but we will have to reschedule your recital for another day."

The groups started to walk away until the little voice of Alonzo piped up, "What about the deserted area? She might have walked in there. Is nobody going to check?" Pausing, Jonahel turned back around and looked down upon Alonzo with some contempt.

"Leave this to your elders son; we know what we are doing. If we can't find her by tomorrow then I can assure you that we will look in there." Once he had spoken, Jonahel ran to catch up with the others with Alonzo following closely behind, stopping only to check inside the sidecar of an old motorbike.

Almost as soon as the adults and Alonzo had left, Macavity savagely turned to Munkustrap and hissed threateningly. "You ruined my only chance to be accepted into this tribe, you little rodent. You're going to pay for that." And with that, he pounced on the kitten, clawing and biting him, although the little kitten tried to give as good as he got. It was obvious who was winning however, as Macavity was older, larger and stronger than the tabby, as well as having extra help due to his magic. He was using his magic to injure the young tom whenever he was pinned to the floor.

"Alright, that's enough." Octavius stood in the way of Macavity's next attack, taking a forceful blow against his side. "That's not going to solve anything. You heard Deuteronomy; he said you could take the oath another time. Frankly, I'm glad Munkustrap interrupted, otherwise we wouldn't have known she was missing." Looking Macavity directly in the eye, Octavius ploughed on with his small speech. "If you hadn't forced me to go hunting with you last night I would've been able to notice her disappearance sooner." Octavius' whiskers twitched slightly in anguish as he said, "I suppose we'd best go look for her now anyway."

"Urgh, you are _way_ too protective of her. She's just as bad as the runt. You _all _sicken me." Macavity stalked off with little flourish, a dark aura hanging off him.

"Straps? Are you okay?" Tugger quickly ran to the black and silver tabby who was groaning whilst he attempted to stand. The two standing toms helped the kitten stand as Tugger continued, "Maybe he was trying to get one last hit in before he actually took the oath. I would watch out for him for the next few days though—he's going to be nasty."

* * *

After searching the whole day for the missing queen, Jonahel finally decided to look in the desolate region of the yard the following morning. The cats were up almost as soon as the sun rose, intending on finding the young Turkish Angora as soon as possible. The day was brighter than it had been for the past few days, regaining some of the heat and sunshine that occurred on the day of Munkustrap's pollicle scare.

Only few of the Jellicles joined in on the search that day as they had to continue with their daily lives. For example, Skimble had a train to catch and Gus had a theatre to go back to. One of the cats that did join in on the search was Jenny, who was like a mother to Sanza when Octavius brought her to the yard after their mother's death. Jenny had recently lost her kittens to illness so she was able to feed Sanza, effectively saving her life.

They walked into the uninhabited space, searching through every nook and cranny, every old tyre, cupboard and chest of drawers. A couple of hours had passed before anyone had seen evidence of Sanza being there. Tugger lifted his muzzle to the sky and inhaled deeply, his ears held back in enrapt concentration.

The Maine Coon's train of thought was broken when he heard a yell from Munkustrap. "OVER HERE! I can't see her but this place has her scent." The search team ran over to where the tabby was standing, intently sniffing the air, trying to find a lead on her scent. After a few minutes, Munkustrap's ears swivelled around after hearing a slight noise beneath a pile of scrap. Calling the absent queen's name, Munkustrap dug through the junk until he could clearly see what was making the noise.

The white kitten had been stuck beneath a large plank of wood and a few scraps of metal and was now whimpering, her breathing coming in fast, short gasps. "Sanza! We've been so worried. Are you alright? Look at me Sanza? Please? You're worrying me!" Munkustrap spoke quietly with a tinge of desperation in his voice. The once white coat of Sanza was now tinged with dirt and was matted. The little kitten hadn't moved aside from her chest moving from her breathing, her eyes staring at nothing.

"Tugger! Jenny!" The tom yelled, panicking slightly. The older queen came running as fast as she could after hearing the kittens yell.

"What is it? Have you found her?" She asked, somewhat out of breath. Looking down, she saw the young queen and gasped in shock. "Quick Jonahel, get her out of there so I can see how bad her injuries are."

As the protector lifted the kitten out of her prison, Jenny sighed, "She's very weak; she hasn't been fed in almost three days." After the kit was laid on the floor, Jenny looked her over and stated, "Just as I thought. She's broken her hind leg and her tail. The leg is fixable, but she's going to have a slight kink in her tail from now on."

* * *

Two days later Sanza could be found in Jennyanydots home, lying atop a blanket with a tired-looking Tugger beside her. Every time the young Turkish Angora moved, the tom quickly lifted his head, checking to see if the queen was alright. He had been spending all of his time with Sanza, who had yet to awaken long enough to acknowledge his presence. His other best friend, the grey and silver tabby, had been dividing his time between sitting with the Maine Coon watching over Sanza and helping Jonahel, the arrogant Jellicle Protector.

"How is she?" The sudden voice made Tugger's head shoot up in surprise, only to relax slightly when he realised it was only Octavius and Munkustrap standing by the entrance of the den. "She looks better than she did earlier. She might be able to form coherent sentences when she next wakes up." Octavius chuckled slightly, relief obvious in his voice.

"Where's Jenny?" Munkustrap questioned lightly, looking at Sanza with certain softness in his gaze. "It's not like her to leave a patient alone."

"I told her she could go meet Jelly. That I'd look after Sanza. I, uh, well. I wanted to speak to her when she woke up." There was a shadow of nervousness in Tugger's eyes, a look, Munkustrap noted, that he had only seen when around Macavity. "I—I want to apologise," the kit looked pleadingly at Octavius, and then at his friend, "It's my entire fault. If I hadn't been so cruel to her, nothing would have happened. She wouldn't have been injured; Macavity would've taken his oath and he wouldn't have attacked you." At this, the young tom let out a heaving sigh.

"I can assure you that Macavity would have attacked Munk either way. Anyway, Jenny had a look over him and he's only got a few scratches and a bruise here and there—isn't that right?" At this, Munkustrap gave a nod of affirmation before Octavius continued, "As for Sanza, she'll be alright. I would give you a bollocking for doing that to my sister but it appears you're beating yourself up about it enough." The larger tom, who was usually seen with a menacing sneer on his face, was without it today, making him look more youthful than he already was.

"Right, well. I'd best go now. Your brother has gone missing and I suppose I should go look for him, no matter how pissed off he is with me." Octavius gave one last glance to his sister before walking out of the den, intent on searching for the seething Macavity.

After the older cat left, Munkustrap walked closer to his friends and sat at the edge of the blanket. "She's sleeping loads, a lot more than she usually does." He sent a pained look towards Tugger, showing his inner turmoil. Upon seeing Sanza stir, the silver tabby looked back towards his friend with the wild headfur. "She's waking up now. I'll leave for a while and I'll come back after you've had time to speak with her."

Twenty minutes after Munkustrap left, Sanza opened her eyes and stretched her limbs, save for the broken ones. Feeling a dull throb of pain, the queen looked about, feeling more relaxed than she had a few days previous. Tugger was asleep, snoring slightly, with his head resting on the blanket. The kitten nudged him softly with one of her paws, batting him on the head when he groaned.

"Rumsy, wake up!" The tom woke up to huge, green eyes staring down at him. Startled, he jumped back with his fur on end, letting out a slight hiss. When he realised who it was who woke him, he quickly sobered up and began his apology, stuttering slightly as he did so.

"S-Sanza! Oh. Oh! You're awake! I-I just want, er, wanted to say that-that I'm sorry! I-I'm really, really sorry! I w-was a h-horrible jerk and I didn't want y-you to get h-hurt! It was m-meant as a joke a-and I didn't think y-y-you'd run away and," Tugger paused for a deep breath before continuing his spiel. "I'm sorry. I hope you'll forgive me. I-I don't actually feel that way about you. You're one of my best friends, you an' Straps. I-I don't know what I'd do without you…"

"I was really worried. Me an' Straps were looking everywhere for you and then, then we broke up Macavity's oath ceremony and he beat up Straps a-and now he's gone missing too!" He gave Sanza an imploring look.

The queen merely looked at her friend in disbelief before nudging him softly and purring in contentment. "It's alright Tugger, I'm not angry at you." The two sat in silence for a few minutes until Munkustrap walked through the door.

"Oh, you're awake! How are you feeling Sanz? Have you guys talked yet?" He sent a pointed look to Tugger.

Sanza smiled brightly at both toms, excessively nodding her head. Tugger had an uncomfortable expression that was overshadowed by the relief in his eyes. Munkustrap looked at the both of them and smiled.

"I'm glad you're okay Sanza, especially now that the infamous trio is back together. We were nothing without you!" Sanza nudged Munkustrap with her nose, giggling when Tugger let out a splutter of disbelief.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Don't worry, the plot will thicken soon enough! ;) **

**Many thanks to my friends Valiya (who is writing "****The Way Things Were" - It's amazing, check it out!) and Deborah who have both been a great help. They went through both chapters for me and found mistakes I had made whilst writing that I hadn't noticed before. Thank you both! You are AWESOME and I love you both verily much. :3**

******Thanks again for reading and PLEASE REVIEW! I love hearing about how you found the chapter and what I need to improve on! The next chapter should hopefully be out soon! :)**


	3. Chapter 3: A Revolution In Sides

_Chapter 3 – A Revolution In Sides_

A loud crash resonated inside an old, rusty dumpster located in a dark alleyway which was surrounded by old boxes and bottles. This particular alleyway was originally the meeting point of the city's most notorious gang who were well known for thievery and murder. On this particular day, the alley was void of any human activity, although the underside of the dumpster had remnants of food from the day before. Two large rats were hovering over the food, picking at it in case there was any left over for them to scavenge.

Another crash occurred, followed by a low growling. The rats scampered out from underneath the dumpster in fear, squeaking noisily as they went. The rats disappeared from the alley, illuminated by the full moon. A broken kettle was suddenly thrown against a wall, followed by various other discarded items.

"Stupid Jellicles. Stupid oath. Stupid Munkustrap." The growling continued, even as the figure spoke. "Why must he always ruin everything? I should have killed him. I would have if it wasn't for that Jellicle protector." He spoke the last two words in a mocking tone as if to suggest that the cat he was talking about was anything but protective.

If a human were to take a look inside the bin, they would have seen a mangy ginger cat sitting by himself, acting as if there was a threat in the area. However, if the human were to understand the cat, they would have realised he was berating all that he had ever known with a burning passion. The cat, still very much alone, buzzed with unrestrained energy. With his eyes flashing wildly, he let out an uncontrolled yell, slamming his paw into the side of the large bin, making it quiver. In an attempt to vent his anger, he used his magic once again to chuck heavy objects to the wall outside the bin, much like the kettle that was thrown earlier.

Hissing manically, Macavity jumped out of the large disposal area, his eyes searching the vacant area around him. Jumping upon a few boxes and other discarded items, the tom made his way to the wall on the far end of the alley, placing himself on the ledge. Looking at an almost identical alleyway from the other side of the wall, the cat noticed that it was teeming with life, unlike its counterpart.

"How odd." The cat spoke quietly, observing the view. Jumping off the ledge, the tom walked towards a large black tabby with white markings on his front paws and face. The bicolour had his ears flicked back and was in a hunting position, crouching close to the floor. As Macavity moved closer, he realised that the cat was missing half an ear as well as most of his tail. He also noticed that the tabby was smaller in size, though slightly more muscular.

"Oi. You there." At his voice, the black cat lifted his head in surprise at the ginger tom. "What do you know of this area? Is it free from those disgusting _Jellicles_?" Though Macavity mostly appeared calm, his hackles were slightly raised and his ears flicked back.

The patched cat looked somewhat surprised at the question, but answered nonetheless. "Them Jellicles nevah' come near tha' alley. We don't bovah them an dey won't bovah us." The cat raised his good ear at Macavity. "Wot ya' askin' fer anyway?"

Macavity, having turned to look at the moon, looked back towards the other cat with a sinister look in his eyes. "Perfect."

* * *

Four months previous

"_Macavity! Macavity!" A sobbing could be heard from inside an old box. "Macavity, please!" Inside, there was a silver queen, drenched in sweat due to birthing a litter of five kittens. The female was obviously in great pain, due to complications that had occurred. She did not have much time left. _

"_Please look after them Macavity. Their father isn't around. Your father. I'm not going to be around to look after them. They need a guardian. Please, I beg of you!" The queen let out a sharp gasp as the smallest of the litter, a silver and black tom, began to feed. _

"_You need to take them somewhere, find someone to look after them, to feed them. Please." Her voice was getting weaker, her breaths sharper._

"_Why should I? You aren't my mother. You're just some filthy queen that my father picked up off the street. He died to save YOU, but not his only son. Not me. When you die, these kittens will die with you." The adolescent was around eight months old, and had a penchant for twisting words and was found-from time to time- to be quite sadistic. _

"_Should I kill them in front of you, or are you suffering enough? Knowing that you faced death to protect these kittens, even though they won't be protected at all?" The ginger tom's whiskers twitched with anticipation, his claws slowly protruding from his paws._

_The queen, too weak to stand and fight, gave one last whispered plea before letting out her last breath. Blood loss was a common way to die, especially for a queen who had just given birth. Macavity smirked slightly whilst looking upon a whimpering black female._

"_You first." He padded over to the blind new-born before slitting her throat lazily with a sharp claw. He killed three of the remaining kittens in a similar fashion before stopping at the youngest who was still huddled next to his dead mother. "The runt of the litter. Pathetic. You'd never survive the next few days anyway."_

_Just as Macavity was about to lay the final blow upon the sightless kitten, he heard a strong voice announce his presence. "Who's there? Come on, show yourself." At this, Macavity started whimpering softly until the figure presented himself. A muscular brown tom walked around the corner, his head and tail held high showing he was unafraid. However, upon looking at the scene he hissed, looking around for any signs of life._

"_You there? Did you do this?" He directed his questions to the still whimpering Macavity, who shook his head wildly, playing the weak card well._

"_Th-there was this cat. Th-this cat, h-he killed my f-family. Th-they're all gone. All of them." He let out a few well-placed tears, hoping that the large tom couldn't see through his disguise. To his dismay, a small cry was let out by the surviving silver and black kitten as he was searching for his mother's warmth. _

_The brown tom's ears twitched slightly as he heard the noise. "What's this then? It looks like there's a survivor. What's his name?" By this point, the new-born was shivering with cold and hunger and was mewling pitifully._

_Macavity vaguely remembered watching from the shadows as the kitten's mother named each of them with a lick to the head. "Munkustrap. His name is Munkustrap. I'm Macavity."_

"_Well boys, follow me. We can go to the junkyard where you'll both be safe. You will be well looked after there." The older cat picked up Munkustrap by the scruff of his neck, motioning with his tail for Macavity to follow him._

* * *

Present:

Everything went back to normal in the three weeks that passed after Sanza's accident. Deuteronomy went back to watching over the Jellicles with pride, whereas Jonahel went back to surveying and guarding the area. Sanza, still recovering from her injuries, was now able to move about due to the non-restraining bandages she had on.

The three kittens were sitting inside the large pipe planning their next adventure. Munkustrap and Tugger were in the midst of a somewhat heated discussion whilst Sanza was giggling and playfully batting Munkustrap's twitching tail.

"Straps, I'm telling you! We have to do that to Jenny! It'll be hilarious!" Tugger whined insistently, not wanting his friend to say no. "All we have to do is take a few of the mice, dress them up a bit and then we'll give 'em back! It's no big deal!" The silver tabby sighed quickly before sending a soft look at Sanza.

"I don't know Tugs. You know how Jenny gets when you mess with the mice." A gasp of delight was voiced by Sanza, followed by a mischievous smirk.

"I know what we can do. We need the old slide and that bathtub. Is it still filled with water?" Tugger slowly nodded, his thick mane waving about comically. She motioned the toms closer and began frantically whispering in their ears, letting out a high pitched snigger every once in a while. Once she had finished explaining her master plan, Munkustrap stepped back and immediately shook his head.

"No. You can't even swim Sanza! You've still got your bandages on." His face was set in a slight frown, his ears flat on his head. His tail was flicking back and forth in an agitated manner before Sanza nudged him with the bridge of her nose, continuing to do so until she elicited a purr from the feline. This was no easy task however, as Munkustrap could be extremely stubborn when he wanted to be. "No! You're already hurt, what if you get hurt again?"

The Turkish Angora gave a slight scoff before speaking. "Give me a little more credit than that. It was my idea so I should get to do it anyway. It'll be fun!" Giving Munkustrap one last nudge, she turned and walked out of the pipe, giving his chin a flick with her tail. Before disappearing from view she yelled back at the boys, "Meet me here tomorrow, same time."

Sighing slightly, Munkustrap turned and looked at his older friend. During the exchange, Tugger had been grooming himself whilst watching the two with mild amusement. However, as soon as Sanza departed, Tugger turned to look at the silver tabby with a knowing look in his eye.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" In response, the Maine Coon just gave a light laugh before leaping out of the pipe and walking towards the disused car, leaving Munkustrap both worried and confused.

* * *

The following day found Sanza yelling a hurried goodbye to her brother, who was going to spend the day outside of the junkyard with Tantomile, a quiet queen who usually stayed close to her littermate, Coricopat. The pair shared a telepathic bond with one another which often warded away other cats. However, Octavius was drawn to the pair as he, too, was a bit of an outcast due to his friendship with Macavity. Though the tom was friends with Coricopat, he shared a deeper bond with Tantomile, the more outgoing of the two.

Sanza, after bidding farewell to Octavius, quickly slunk towards the pipe to get started on phase two of their plan. Walking underneath a broken table, she quickly looked about for any of the older cats before entering the pipe where her two best friends greeted her quietly.

"Is the bath in place?" After seeing Tugger nod excitedly, she continued. "So all we need to move now is the slide?" Grinning, she sat down and looked at Munkustrap who was being oddly quiet and apprehensive. "Whats wrong?" She asked whilst prodding him with a paw.

He looked up suddenly and gave a wry smile. "I don't know. I just have a bad feeling about today. It'll probably be fun though." His smile widened and his whiskers angled away from his cheeks in excitement, but Sanza could see that his elation did not reach his eyes. Something was deeply bothering him.

"Look mate, it'll be fine. It'll be a laugh!" Tugger, impeccably groomed as always, gave Munkustrap a bright smile, showing his sharp teeth. "Come on, let's go get the slide." He stood and gracefully bounded out of the pipe towards where the slide was located, closely followed by the rest of the trio. The three of them scrambled through a tight gap between an old trunk and some warped pieces of wood before coming across the slide. Though the steps were old and worn, the actual plastic of the slide was a brilliant hue of yellow which mirrored the kitten's emotions. Upon seeing the slide, Munkustrap's apprehension disappeared, leaving him more eager to begin playing on it.

"Er. How are we going to carry it?" Tugger's voice cut through the silence, breaking Munkustrap's train of thought. The Maine Coon was looking around the slide for anything they could use to move it to the main clearing.

Munkustrap looked at the slide for a second before sitting tall and speaking in an authoritative tone. "Me an' you'll have to drag it. Sanza you've got to stand watch for any of the adults. We can't let them stop us before we've started playing. If you see anyone you have to talk to them and move them away." At this, the tabby stood and surveyed the area, looking for any rope to tie around the ladder. Upon finding a large piece of frayed rope, the cat wrapped it around the worn steps and handed one end to Tugger and put the other end in his mouth.

Though it was difficult, the two kittens managed to drag the slide halfway to the clearing with no interference from any of the adults. However, Sanza spotted both Jellylorum and Jennyanydots on the way and left the toms, enticing the older queens with the idea of a good sunning spot.

Finally, through the struggle of getting the slide over discarded objects, they made it to the clearing. With the help of Alonzo and Admetus, they managed to get the slide up onto the bathtub, the ladder propped up against a few boxes to stop it toppling over. The bath was still filled with water from the storms that had occurred a few weeks previous.

"Who wants to go first?" Tugger quickly volunteered himself, climbing upon the tottery slide. Once at the top he yelled, "I'm king of the junkyard!" before laying himself on his stomach and quickly sliding down into the bathtub. A loud splash and a round of coughing was heard before Tugger's head could be seen over the rim of the tub.

"That was…brilliant! Straps, you gotta have a go!" The tabby looked warily at his soaking peer, wondering why he thought getting sodden was so much fun. He slowly climbed the ladder with less enthusiasm than his tall friend. He reached the top and looked down. It hadn't looked that steep from on the ground. He looked back at his friend who was shaking his fur, water splaying everywhere. 'If he can do it, then I can too.' He thought internally. Closing his eyes, he moved forward and started to slip down the slide, which had a slight incline at the end. Gaining speed, he reached the bottom of the slide and flew into the water. The water looked extremely daunting for the split second he was in the air. Letting out a gasp of fear and exhilaration, Munkustrap landed in the water with a splat.

Lifting his head out of the water, the silver kitten spat out some water that had entered his mouth when he landed. "How you find getting wet fun is beyond me. The slide is okay, but the water? Really, Tugger?" He scrambled out the tub, slipping slightly when he tried to push off the side with his hind legs.

Tugger, still damp from his go, turned when he heard a light patter of feet. "You guys started without me? No fair!" Sanza, who had hobbled from where she had left the older queens, had an affronted expression on her face which quickly changed to delight when she saw the soaking toms and Tugger's gleeful smirk. "My turn, my turn!"

The kitten climbed up the ladder, though slower than her two friends due to her injuries. She shrieked with pleasure as she went down the slide, landing with a large splash which went over the sides of the bath, soaking Alonzo who was waiting on his turn. Climbing out, Sanza almost slid in shock at the appearance of another cat.

"Well, well. What do we have here? Having fun are you?" The dishevelled red face of Macavity peered round the side of an old gas oven. "You know, I want to have a little fun too, but I don't think I have the same thing in mind as you." He had a scornful smirk on his face as he looked at the trio, causing them to cower slightly.

"I have a bone to pick with you, runt." As the older cat said this, another face peered out from behind the oven. This time, it was a bicolour tabby who, like the ginger tom, had a menacing air about him. "See, last time I was here you ruined my oath ceremony. I suppose I should be thanking you for that, I don't want to get stuck with these pitiful Jellicles. You did ruin my friendship with Octavius though, you and your blabby mouth. I should've killed you like I did with your brothers and sisters. I almost did." His voice had risen to a manic snarl, his long fur on end, giving the impression that he had been electrocuted.

Munkustrap, who's eyes had filled with tears after his brother's confession, was the next to speak. "Why would you do that? I thought we were brothers." Tugger's tail flicked restlessly at the tabby's distress, glaring at the ginger tom with a burning fire.

A snigger was let out from the unknown bicolour, followed by a harsh bark of laughter from Macavity. "Why did I do it? Because father left my mother for some whore. He left her for your mother. He died you know. He died saving her, and she was pregnant with you and your littermates. I hated her and her offspring. That's why I killed them." He let out a hiss before continuing. "You were only saved because of Jonahel. I'm only here now to finish what I started. You need to die, little brother."

The tom had an unidentifiable glint in his eye as he stalked closer to his brother. "But first, I'm going to kill your little friends in front of you. I want you to suffer." During his monologue, Macavity hadn't noticed that Alonzo had slipped off to get one of the older cats. The three remaining kittens were sitting by the bathtub, still soaking wet and shaking with fear as Macavity stalked to them, shadowed by the patched tom. His eyes settled on Sanza, the kitten he knew his half-brother had a soft spot for. As he neared closer to the terrified queen, he heard a yell before he was attacked by a large Turkish Angora.

"Don't you dare Macavity. Don't you dare hurt them." Octavius had just come back from his walk with Tantomile when he had heard the commotion. Landing on Macavity, he clawed viciously at his back before being thrown off by the mysterious cat. Both threatening toms cornered the white cat, biting and tearing his skin until he yelled out in pain. The unidentified tabby was thrown off by Skimble who fought him with a strength only age and experience could teach. The bicolour quickly ran away from the junkyard after realising what a formidable opponent Skimble was. Macavity had taken to using magic to knock back the now severely weakened Octavius, who had fallen after the last attack.

"I thought you were my friend. I thought you were on my side. Now I realise that you're weak. You're no use to me" The ginger cat spat brutishly on the white tom, who was bleeding heavily from multiple cuts on his side. It also appeared that he had a serious head injury as he was not moving and there was a large gash next to his ear.

"I'll get you Munkustrap, you and your little friends. Mark my words." With those last ominous words, Macavity run out of the Junkyard, being colourfully cursed at by Skimbleshanks, who was now guarding the three kittens with his body. As Macavity was leaving, Jonahel arrived, being led by Alonzo.

"Alonzo. Macavity isn't here. If you want to protect this tribe, you must learn to stop exaggerating." Rolling his eyes, the supercilious protector turned to leave before being stopped by the marmalade tom.

"It's true. Macavity was here. He was going to kill these three, but Octavius tried to stop him." His eyes widening, Skimble turned to where Octavius was lay, hiding the threesome from the sight. "Jonahel. Go get Jenny." Looking back at the kits expressions, he turned back to the protector. "Quick! Go now!"

Sanza, worried for her brother, quickly peered around Skimble in an attempt to see if her brother was okay. The white queen was still soaked from her dip in the bath, and if the situation wasn't so dire, the older cat would've laughed at her appearance. As she caught sight of her brother, her eyes filled with tears, a few falling onto her cheeks. She slowly hobbled forward, her eyes shining with worry and her bandages peeling off her leg and tail.

Opening her mouth to speak, she choked on her unshed tears. Her mouth snapping shut, she took a deep breath before attempting to speak once more. Although very little was said, what she uttered was filled with grief and worry.

"Octavius?"

* * *

**AN: Hey guys! Just a quick note to say thanks for reading. Also, many thanks to my friends Valiya (Author of "The Way Things Were" - read it!) and Emma who helped me with this chapter as my grammar and wording is absolutely atrocious! :P Thanks you two as you've really helped, love you both muchly! :D****  
**

**Hopefully you guys feel that the story is getting a bit more interesting now. I wanted a couple of chapters to get into the swing of things but with this one I do think that you get into the story a bit more and you see how evil Macavity is (I don't like seeing namby-pamby Macavity, he's supposed to have "broken every human law," murder is definitely on that list so I actually thought he should kill kittens - the ultimate evil! ;) ).**

**Hope you guys liked that chapter and PLEASE REVIEW! I love getting them! :D - rovalo**


	4. Chapter 4: Rumours

_Rumours – Chapter 4_

A scurry of feet and loud yowling could be heard from behind an old warehouse. The disused building had tufts of weeds growing out of cracks in the brick, the metal entrance rusted with age. The brick was painted a bright red which was slightly dulled by erosion. The area was vacant apart from several large cats sitting atop a wall, watching two cats fighting. One of the cats was a large ginger tabby, the other was a patched tom. The mangier of the two looked to be stronger, beating the smaller cat within an inch of his life.

"You little coward." Macavity hissed, spit flying out of his mouth. "You left me with the Jellicles. You're pathetic." The bicolour, though originally attempting to fight back, was no match for the malicious tom. He gave one final shudder, accompanied by a pained groan, before falling to the floor. "Disgusting." He spat, before turning towards the other cats. He strode towards them, limping slightly on one of his front paws, staring haughtily ahead.

"You did well there, son. That tom stood no chance." A muscled calico with a pink nose looked him in the eye before turning to stare intently at a pair of pliers behind him. Macavity continued staring at the older cat for a few seconds longer before turning towards the others and settling down on the cold cement. He sat there in silence for a number of minutes before twitching his whiskers and speaking.

"You all saw what I did to that deserter. Will you join me, even knowing the consequences? I know you have quarrel with the Jellicles, amongst other things. With me by your side, we can become the most feared cats in the whole of Britain." As he said this, one of the cats moved slightly, unsettling a loose brick on the wall. The brick fell to the floor creating a loud noise which disturbed the silence that followed Macavity's speech. "Well? Are you in?"

The gruff tone in his voice got the cats looking around at each other frantically before replying. "Yes, yes! We'll do it." An older tom, the calico who spoke before, looked Macavity in the eyes with a grave expression set on his muzzle. He jumped off the wall, walking with a twitch in his hips, showing that he had not recovered from an injury that had occurred a long while back.

"So what do we have to do to get to that position? Follow you? Make you our leader?" The calico sat, one of his eyelids twitching. Macavity smirked, staring unflinchingly at him. He noted that the older cat was blind in his left eye, a clear film covered the lens and the pupil did not react to light. Looking to his left, he noted that the rest of the cats were staring wide-eyed at the encounter, waiting to hear his answer.

"Of course. Without me, you'd be nothing. With my…particular skills, we can rise to the top. We'd rule all felines. You need someone to be there to guide you. To mould you into better warriors and leaders. That's what I'm here for." Macavity sniffed lightly, tasting the air. "I'll give you one day for your answers. Meet back here tomorrow, same time." He walked to the brick wall and nimbly leapt to the top before turning back towards the other cats.

"If you aren't here tomorrow, I'll find you. I'll do to you what I did to that tom over there. If you say no, you'll regret the decision."

* * *

"_He's going to find us. He's going to find us and make us pay. You know what he said!" It was twilight when two toms found themselves cowering beneath a car, illuminated by a streetlamp. "What will we do? We need to get out of here!" The tom speaking was shaking with fear, his eyes moving around the area fearfully, searching for any signs of life. The other cat twitched his tail in exasperation, rolling his eyes masterfully. _

"_Don't be pathetic. He won't find us. A cat like that wouldn't know where we were." He scoffed, sneering at his quivering friend, who jumped at the sight of a bird settling on a blue garden fence, shadowed hauntingly due to the lack of sunlight. The toms were in a respectable cul-de-sac, an area where humans of high social stature found themselves living. _

_An eerie stillness filled the street, leaving the two hidden toms in a cold sweat. An inaudible scratching noise suddenly sounded, masked slightly by the call of an owl._

"_Shit, what was that?" The terrified tom scooted closer to his friend, looking for both comfort and safety from him. The cat was quickly nudged off and given a glare that could rival that of a pollicle. It came as a surprise to both cats, however, when they heard the ominous voice of the cat they were hiding from._

"_I take it that your absence today means you won't be joining our little…group? What a pity. You could have been useful. Not you," he looked towards the trembling tom scornfully, "I have no use for pathetic creatures such as yourself. Yet, your friend over here would have made an excellent addition to our little team. Such a waste." The cat, conjuring vast amounts of fear in both toms, was still hidden by the shadows, enjoying the effect that the darkness had on the felines in front of him._

_The cat scanned the area to check that they were alone before turning back to the cowering 'deserters'. Spitting slightly and twitching his whiskers in anticipation, he stepped out of the large shadow that the tyre created, revealing himself to the toms. Blue sparks exited his body in wild flashes, signifying that he cat was more powerful than he originally appeared._

_Grinning maniacally, he opened his mouth to speak in a soft, yet venomous tone. "Who's going first?"_

* * *

The following days had the newly acquired cats—or henchcats as they liked to be called—toiling meticulously to allow the warehouse to fit their needs as an organization. The cats that had turned up to join Macavity's mob worked themselves to extremes to avoid the wrath of their recently appointed leader. There were whispers—rumours really—going around the city. These rumours included the disappearance of two well-known cats, cats that had been in attendance at Macavity's first meeting. The two toms had not turned up the following day, leaving the henchcats wondering if the ginger tabby was true to his word and had made them suffer.

However, the rumours did not stop there. A day or so after their disappearance, two toms matching the description of the missing cats were found behind a dumpster in a cul-de-sac. These cats were severely mutilated with missing fur and ripped skin. Both victims had been found with both their eyes and hearts missing, nowhere to be found. Those investigating the situation found that the trail of blood from the victims stopped a couple of metres away from the bodies, leaving no further evidence as to who murdered the duo.

* * *

_5 __M__onths__ Later_

Tugger stood just outside the entrance of Munkustrap's den, the den he originally shared with Macavity. Peering around the junkyard, he waited for his friend to finish whatever he was doing. It was a dreary day, clouds covering the entirety of the junkyard though it had yet to rain. Tugger expected the clouds to burst at any moment.

None of the cats inhabiting the junkyard were out today, save for Jonahel who was patrolling around the area. Skimble was most likely in Scotland, the destination where his latest train ride was to take him. Jenny had accompanied him on this trip for the first time in a long while. Sanza had been fully weaned for a few months now and Skimble had felt that Jenny deserved some time off from the stressful atmosphere that the junkyard had been providing recently. Jellylorum and Asparagus were most likely at their owners' home and Gus was either at the theatre or with Tugger's father, Deuteronomy. Overall, it was a very mild and boring day.

"Straps, are you nearly done? I'm really bored." The Maine Coon sighed loudly, intending for Munkustrap to hear him. He stared at his paw for a couple of seconds before lifting it to his mouth and licking it lightly, getting the soft fur to lay flat. A crash was heard from inside the den and Tugger spun round leaping into the den gracefully. "What happened? What's wrong? Straps?"

The tabby in question was lying on the floor with his head tucked between his paws. The silver tom was groaning inaudibly, his ears flicked back further than Tugger thought possible. Beside the tormented adolescent was flat piece of metal that had obviously fallen from the wall, leaving a gaping hole.

Looking around swiftly, Tugger noted that the den was a lot neater than it had been when Macavity was still at the junkyard. It had previously been filled with old animal carcasses—courtesy of Macavity—which had left a horrific stench. It was no wonder that Munkustrap had spent most nights at Tugger's den, preferring to skip out on his brothers' cruel behaviour as well as the possibility of a panic attack. It was not a well-known fact—only Tugger and Sanza knew—that Munkustrap was a bit of a neat-freak.

"I can't do anything right! I'm such a failure." Munkustrap continued muttering to himself, smacking himself on the head with a paw before lightly jumping up and running into another room to sulk. A muted thump could be heard from where Tugger was standing; still in slight shock at witnessing his usually composed friend have a mild breakdown.

He walked slowly into the other room, his paws making a dull thud against the makeshift floor. He flicked his ears back as he caught sight of Macavity's old bedding stuffed into a corner.

"You know, you should probably get rid of that old thing, Straps." He sneered at the sight of the grimy blue blanket which was smeared with a dark, dry substance. The tom made a grunt of affirmation, before sniffing into a green duvet. "What's wrong, mate?" Tugger, now by Munkustrap's side, nudged his friend softly with his head. He climbed upon the comforter and settled in next to the tabby, purring lightly.

"What's bugging you? You know you can tell me, right?" He gave one last nudge to silver tabby's head, before letting out a great sigh. "You and Sanza have been like this for months now. She's sad because of Octavius and you're sad 'cause she's sad _and_ 'cause you haven't seen her since last month. Man up and visit them."

Munkustrap's head whipped around to glare furiously at Tugger. "What are you talking about? I'm no more upset than you. I have other stuff on my mind as well." He hissed slightly before continuing. "My life doesn't revolve around her _or_ you." Sniffing, he turned back around, his fur slightly ruffled from annoyance.

"Well fine then, if that's what you think." The tall Maine Coon stood quickly and left, not before swiping Munkustrap lightly in the head with a paw. "Come find me when you're done sulking."

* * *

White spots covered Octavius' vision as he opened his eyes. His head throbbed wildly, causing him to grunt in pain. He closed his eyes once again, hoping to fall into slumber. That was all he could really do nowadays. Sleep. It didn't sound as appealing as it used to.

"'Tav? You awake?" His sister, one of the only reasons that kept him wanting to live, was here. He opened his eyes once again, surprised to find that there were fewer white spots obscuring his vision. Though he struggled to keep his eyes open due to the pain in his head, he managed to overcome it and find his sister looking at him with big green eyes that reminded him so much of their mother.

"How are you feeling?" He noted that she had a slight frown on her face, her eyes filled with unshed tears. It gave her an aged look, one that shouldn't ever grace her appearance, or so he liked to think. He gave her a once over, seeing that she was somewhat unkempt.

Octavius chose to ignore her question. "You need to groom yourself more often; you look a mess." She laughed lightly, although it was slightly forced. It was enough for Octavius though. "How are your friends? Tugger and Munk?" She looked somewhat sheepish, turning slightly to look out of the den's entrance.

"I…er…I don't know. I…um…haven't seen them for a while." She looked ready to burst into tears, and sure enough almost as soon as she said this she broke into heaving sobs. "I-I'm sorry! I-I just w-wanted to l-look after y-you!" He hushed softly, nudging her with his front paws, unable to calm her down any other way.

"Sanz', you don't need to worry about me. I'm fine." He inwardly grimaced at the blatant lie as she glowered at him through her tears. "You can't let your life revolve around me. It was my fault I got into this mess. I won't let you blame yourself for it. You couldn't have done anything." Swallowing loudly, he turned his head to the ceiling, staring at nothing.

"I will get him. I'll get him back for you. He'll pay." Sanza spat venomously, letting hate drip into every word. Her long coat was on end and her tail was rapidly flicking back and forth. Before the young queen could continue, she was interrupted by the entrance of another female.

"May I interrupt?" Tantomile had a soft edge to her voice which matched the look she gave to Octavius. It was obvious that the two were interested in one another and unbeknownst to anyone else but Sanza, the two had mated the day that Octavius had been injured.

Sanza gave a slight nod in the older queen's direction before looking back at her brother. "I'll be back to see you later on. I'll see if I can catch a couple of mice." She looked back at Tantomile before continuing after a slight pause. "I…I love you Octavius. You're the best brother."

* * *

Munkustrap found Tugger sitting upon the TSE 1, patting his thick mane with one of his paws. The Maine Coon looked deep in thought, his brow furrowed in concentration. Munkustrap crept towards his oldest friend, somewhat bashful, wanting to get his apology over and done with. The silver tabby was so lost in his thoughts for a few seconds, thinking about what he would say that he hadn't realised that Tugger had left his spot on the car and had snuck his way towards him.

Letting out a loud war cry, the preening feline leapt upon Munkustrap, knocking him to the ground. The two wrestled playfully for a few moments before Tugger was pinned to the floor, panting heavily.

"You've gotten better." Tugger stated, looking at Munkustrap with a mischievous smirk which almost hid a glimmer of something unidentifiable in his eyes.

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Letting go of Tugger—who sat up and returned to his careful grooming—Munkustrap wrapped his tail around himself and crouched on the dusty terrain.

Shaking his head softly, Tugger quickly licked his paw before settling into a comfortable spot on a frayed plaid cushion. "I'll tell you when Sanza gets here. She's on her way." He caught sight of their younger friend as he glanced behind Munkus, the snowy Turkish Angora walking quickly towards them, her head held low.

"Sanza!" The queen responded to her name by lifting her head and quickening her pace. As she joined them, Tugger started his spiel. "Good. Okay, so now that you're both here, I can tell you. You won't like it though. "

The Maine Coon looked at his peers, his eyes flicking to both of them. "I overheard Jonahel talking to my father and the others. There have been rumours of Macavity, that he's got a gang. He's been killing anyone that has been defying him. Word on the street is that he's aiming to destroy the Jellicles. That he's got a grudge. Jonahel said that it's been going on for a few months—since he left. Apparently he's been capturing queens as well but nobody knows what they're doing with them yet."

A large shudder came from Sanza's tiny frame. Nudging her slightly, Tugger continued on with his tale. "My father said the main priority is to protect the Jellicles although Jonahel believes otherwise. He said that we should battle with Macavity and to see who comes out on top. He said he would use you, Straps—You, Alonzo, Admetus and the others."

The cats sat silently for a moment, staring wide-eyed at each other. The youngest of the bunch let out a slight wail, causing the silver tom to jolt to attention. "I'll do whatever it takes to stop Macavity. To save the Jellicles. I'll fight him."

Almost immediately after Munkustrap spoke, Sanza pounced on him, her claws digging into his skin. "You can't do that. He's bigger than you and he's got magic!" Her eyes were wide and shining with fear, her fur on end. "If you go, I'm going with you." The silver tabby rolled his eyes and roughly pushed the rambunctious adolescent off him.

He sneered at her, upset that she had been avoiding him the past month or so. "You? Help? You're just a nuisance. You'd be best to stay and help your brother with his…issue." He began to turn, attempting to walk away before noticing a flash of white and a sudden pain on the side of his face. Spluttering in shock, he looked towards the white queen in disbelief. Sanza was hissing at him, the fury in her eyes was blatantly obvious. It was a sudden change from her previous demeanour and as Munkustrap looked on, he realised that he'd never seen her like this before.

"You talk about it as if it's nothing. He can barely walk. He probably won't be able to move his hind legs again—ever! You're so cruel." Her tail was lashing from side to side and she was slowly advancing on the tabby. Tugger stepped in front of the adolescent, preventing her from attacking Munkustrap again. The queen stopped and glared in another direction, until Tugger opened his mouth.

It could be said that the Maine Coon had an uncanny ability to piss Sanza off, and this was one of those times. "Calm down Sanza—You're totally overreacting." This one sentence seemed to irritate the small queen immensely.

"What, you're taking his side? Again?" She paused, inaudibly fuming. "I hate you! I hate both of you!" Venom dripped from the words, settling in the air and leaving a stunned silence behind. The queen didn't speak for a second, her jaw opening in shock. Her eyes widened, filling with tears. She spun round in haste, running to the entrance of the yard. Tugger, speechless for once, plopped on the ground gracelessly whilst Munkustrap glared in the direction the female left in.

"We don't need her. We're fine on our own."

* * *

"_Follow me." The speaker was obviously female due to her warm cockney accent, a higher pitch than that of a tom. A click of a lock and the opening of a large metal door could be heard and the speaker entered the room. "Did'ja hear wot I said? Follow me!"_

_Though it was dark, the queen could obviously see where she was going as she ran through the corridors with ease, managing to avoid any major collisions with henchcats. The walls were made up of large stones which were covered with mould and moss, making the area extremely damp. The queen sniffed once and then sneezed loudly._

"_Shit, shit, shit. Gotta get out of 'ere fasta'! Keep up!" If possible, the cat leapt nimbly down the hall without making a sound. "'Ere it is! Th' exit!" A small open window could be seen only a few feet away. The queen pounced atop the window sill with feline grace and peeked outside to see if the coast was clear._

"_HEY, YOU! What do you think you're doing? Get down from there!" A surly guard raced towards them. The female leapt down and smashed her paw into his jugular which made him fall sideways and hit his head on the floor, becoming unconscious instantaneously. Low voices could be heard getting nearer, which made her uneasy, wanting to speed up the rescue._

_She jumped up again, speaking frantically. _"_Up ya' get. One at a time! Not enuf' room on the 'sill!" She peered outside the window again before looking down at the three battered queens. "'Urry up! We 'aven't got all day!" The cats bounded upon the window sill and raced out with some speed. _

_As soon as they were out of Macavity's territory, the calico queen turned to the trio and spoke brightly. "Oim Rumpleteazah, an' who're you?"_

* * *

Tears rolled down Sanza's cheeks as she walked around the streets of London, her feet continuing to move even though she had no idea where she was going. Tall buildings surrounded her, most of which were extremely grimy and run down. A block of houses could be seen in the distance, but those seemed to be just as neglected, if not more.

Though her tears, she noted an old shaggy cat, whose brown fur was peppered with grey, leering at her through sunken eyes. As she moved on, a rippling shudder went through her body as it felt like the tom was looking deep into her soul. A scurrying of feet ripped the Turkish Angora from her internal mutterings.

Rounding the corner of an apartment block was four queens, three of which looked to be worse for wear. A black and gold queen with tortoiseshell markings looked more battered than the others and was being supported slightly by a red female. By the side of them was another beautiful red queen who looked to be almost an exact replica of the other, apart from darker patches on her ears and muzzle. The female leading the group was a calico with a cheeky expression on her face.

Sanza stood still, taking in the odd sight. She turned back for a moment and was shocked to see the shaggy cat had started to follow her. She trembled slightly, for the tom had a malicious look in his eyes and was slowly slinking towards her.

"Oi, luv! Wot are ya' doin' at this part o' town! Oi fink I can help ya." The tom spoke in rough, husky tones that did little to hide his unrestrained desire. He was closing in on Sanza and was only a couple of metres away before he was stopped by the calico queen, the others standing tall behind her.

"Wot the hell are ya' doin'? Go find some otha' queen to molest!" She bared her teeth at him and unsheathed her claws. "Go on! Get out of 'ere!" The tom quickly reassessed the situation before hobbling away, muttering to himself. The queens watched him leave for a few seconds longer before turning towards each other.

"T-thanks. I'm Sanza." The calico grinned at her, showing her sharp teeth. "Where…where is this place?"

"Hackney, probably one of tha' roughest places in all of London!" The calico swished her long tail once before continuing. "Oim Rumpleteazah by tha' way. Call me Teazah! This is Demeter, Bombalurina and Bellarah." She pointedly looked towards each of the three remaining queens as she spoke their names. "You don't seem to be from around 'ere. Where are ya' from?"

Sanza looked up before answering, as a huge cloud half covered the sun. Looking back at the queens, she told them of the Jellicles and the junkyard, the place she called home. All of them stared at her in awe, save for Bellarah. The cat with the black tipped ears gave off the impression that she was extremely bored. Her head was lolled back and she was looking half lidded at the sky, sighing quietly.

"Is there any chance we can go wiv' ya'? These ladies don't have a home ya' see an' oim lookin' for a new place to settle down." Teazer's cockney accent rang through, conveying her cheerfulness. Her voice settled to a whisper suddenly, the merriment disappearing. "We jus' escaped from Macavity ya' see. We're needin' a place to stay."

"Yeah, 'course you can stay!"

* * *

_One Month Later_

The junkyards newest arrivals fit in with great ease. They were often seen with three toms who were usually trying their best to impress the queens. Tugger and Alonzo were most often seen flirting with Bombalurina and Bellarah whereas Munkus was usually seen attempting to talk to Demeter, who shied away whenever anyone but Bomba came near her.

Bomba, though friendly with most cats, tended to close into herself whenever her sister drew near. Bellarah thought very highly of herself and didn't hesitate to tell anyone when they didn't fit her standards. She often aimed this harsh attitude towards Sanza, even though she was the one who lead them to their new lives.

The white kit quickly fell into a state of despair which only Rumpleteazer could bring her out of. The two became fast friends and spent most of their time together. Teazer would often tell bountiful tales of her past, of looting and thieving and even of her childhood friend whom she hadn't seen for months due to his ominous disappearance.

"Oi miss 'im, ya know? Jus' loike ya' miss Munkustrap n' Tugger, though you guys can see each ovah." She looked sad for a few moments before chirpily replying. "Enough o' that! Wot are we doin' today?"

Sanza responded with a miserable expression on her face. "I need to get mice for 'Tavius 'cause Tantomile is with Coricopat today." She let out a breathy sigh which ruffled the whiskers on her face. "I don't mind but _she _usually hangs out where the best mice are and I know she'll make a horrid comment."

Nudging the white queen lightly with her shoulder, Teazer responded brightly. "Jus' ignore her! We dunno why she's got 'er tail in a knot but oi know she's jus' doin' it to get attention from tha' lads. Tha' witch might no' even be there! Come on then! Oi fer one am starvin'!" The two trotted off in the direction of a scrap pile with various nooks and crannies to hide in, for both cats and mice alike.

The area was in a particularly sunny spot that day, meaning that a lot of the younger cats would have gathered there to sunbathe. Sure enough, as the duo turned the corner they were greeted by Admetus, a tom who had recently developed a fondness for both queens. As he finished greeting them, Alonzo let out a loud wolf whistle which made Admetus' cheeks brighten considerably. The older cat, though recently an adult, leapt at Alonzo with fierce exasperation marring his face. The two roughhoused for a few moments before Admetus claimed victory by pinning the patched tom to the ground and standing on his tail with a hind leg.

Ignoring Alonzo's yells, the two queens made their way past other Jellicles until Teazer leapt through a narrow passage, followed shortly by Sanza. The two adolescents continued their search for mice for a short while before they were interrupted by a sultry, yet demeaning voice.

"Well, look what we have here. The thief and the vagrant." Bellarah swept into their vicinity, her tail held high and graceful. "Why don't you just leave, we don't want cats like you at the junkyard." She looked contemplative for a second before turning to Sanza. "What I mean is, you smell. Your stench is filling up the yard and I want it _gone__."_

Sanza froze in shock, a still wriggling mouse caught in between her jaws. Her eyes widened in surprise and she sat on her haunches, unable to think of anything to retort. Seeing that her friend was slightly distressed, the calico quickly came to her defence.

"Oi! She don't smell! She jus' 'as more important 'fings to worry about than lookin' good fer toms!" She grabbed the white queen by the scruff of her neck and dragged her away from the spluttering feline who wasn't quick witted enough to come up with a decent comeback.

She screeched loudly, hoping to further disturb the two females. "Well I'm sure Alonzo will have something different to say about that." The queen then wrinkled her nose at a discarded mouse before flouncing out, calling for the patched tom.

The calico and her friend could be seen moments later sitting in silence beside an empty box of Ritz crackers, vaguely hidden. Laughter could be heard from the other side of the yard and light murmuring was coming from the other direction.

"Sanz', what are ya' gonna do about bitch-face? Ya' can't take it ta' heart!" Teazer widened her eyes at her friend, prodding her with a paw. The younger cat sat silently for a few seconds, playing with the now dead mouse. Her eyes raked around at the area quickly before replying.

"I…er…I think I need to get away from the yard. This past month has been awful and I need to get away from it. " She stopped talking for a moment, taking in Teazer's shocked expression. She inhaled quietly before continuing. "I hate to ask this but…but…will you help Tant look after Octavius? It'll be only for one night! I'll be back the next day!"

"Aren't ya goin' to tell 'im where ya' headed? Oi would if oi were ya'." Not meeting the calico's eyes, Sanza opened her mouth to begin her excuses before they were interrupted by the arrival of two toms.

The first to be seen was a tall tom with a large, well groomed mane, whereas the other was a handsome silver tabby. "Oh, it's you." The tabby curled his lip in annoyance before being whacked around the back of the head by Tugger. Munkustrap lowered his eyes, although the irritated expression remained on his face.

"Don't mind him ladies, he's in a bad mood because he can't get Demeter to talk to him." He winked at them, his eyes lingering on Sanza, as if in apology. The silver tom hit the Maine Coon in retaliation, a loud smacking noise resonating in the air.

His fur ruffled in annoyance as he scoffed loudly before storming off. Tugger watched him depart before turning back to Sanza. "I don't like fighting with you. I miss you and as much as Munkustrap denies it, I know he misses you too." He grunted slightly before sitting by Sanza, patting her paws. "I'm sorry if it seemed like I was picking on you or anything like that, I didn't mean to. Besides, you're so fun to annoy!" He let out a wicked grin at this last statement, his sharp teeth glinting in the sunlight.

"I haven't really been able to talk to you this past month-" A loud giggle cut him off.

"Wot? Ya' mean cuz of all tha' flirtin' wiv' Bomba?" Both queens burst into a flurry of sniggers, Teazer falling to her side. "Oi fink' oi've broken a rib wiv' laughin' too much!" The two continued their laughter for a few moments more before Tugger let out a derisive snort.

"Well…yeah, have you seen her? She's bloody gorgeous. That's not the only reason though. Straps is being such an idiot, especially whenever I mention you. He's so stubborn though, he won't make the move to apologise first. I didn't know what to do, either way one of you would be angry with me. I guess I chose to stay around Munkustrap because he's much more likely to hold a grudge." He looked up at the sky, twitching his long whiskers. His handsome coat shimmered in the sunlight, leaving Rumpleteazer slightly dazed. She sighed delicately before sitting bolt upright when she realised her actions.

"I _guess _forgive you." Sanza spoke teasingly until she uttered the next part. "I was a bit out of line as well. I just wish me and Munkus could talk to each other but I don't think he'll ever want to talk to me again." Sanza's lower lip trembled slightly at the thought before sniffing and resting her head on her paws. "I don't hate either of you though…I was just upset. I didn't realise that Munkus actually felt that way and I lashed out."

"I'm glad to hear it. I don't hate you either, just to be clear. I suppose it's 'cause me n' Straps are older as well, and we're both blokes. I _did_ miss you though." He nudged her lightly with his head, his large mane tickling her nose, causing her to sneeze. Sanza nudged him back quickly before telling him of her plans for that night.

"Anyway, I might as well tell you. I'm gonna stay out of the yard tonight. I need to get away from the junkyard. All this stuff with you n' Munkus as well as Bellarah being an ass." Tuggers eyes widened in shock at hearing Sanza use the derogatory term. "I need to get away for a bit. I'll be back tomorrow afternoon at latest."

Tuggers lips twisted in a wry smile. "Be careful. You know how aggressive those pollicles can be." He paused for a moment, one of his ears flicking backwards. "Watch out for Macavity as well. He has his henchcats all over the place. We'll hang out when you get back. I missed you." He nuzzled the queen affectionately before bidding goodbye to the duo and chasing after the long-departed Munkustrap.

* * *

"Ruk?" A hiss could be heard from a windowsill, although the figure was disfigured due to the lack of light. It was afternoon when the two cats set off from headquarters and they had been stuck in the same positions for a few hours as it was now twilight.

The figure called out again, only to be met with a harsh reply. "Shut up and stick to the plan." Sensing his comrades confusion he began reciting their orders in monotone. "We're supposed to stick to this corner, far enough away from the Jellicles so they won't smell our scent any time soon, but close enough so that we can ambush any wanderers."

The windowsill cat let out a grunt of affirmation and the tom named Ruk continued. "We're supposed to be looking out for any cats that Macavity described to us." He peered around the corner quickly, spotting a white queen. "Cats like that."

* * *

**AN: I apologise for how long it has taken me to get this chapter out! I've been on holiday for a bit and then when I got back I was doing this course and during that I moved house so I've had very little time to write. I've actually got my internet from the GB from my phone to post this as I have no other internet. ON THE BRIGHT SIDE, CHAPTER 5 IS IN THE WORKS! **

**IMPORTANT NOTICYTHING- My dearest friend **_**Valiya**_** won't be able to update her story "**_**The Way Things Were**_**" due to personal reasons although she will manage to update sometime in the future NO MATTER WHAT. Keep on checking her page fo****r updates though! :D**

**In case anyone is wondering, Munkustrap is around 10 months here, Tugger is 11 months and Sanza is 8 months. Tugger is practically an adult, he'll be taking his Oath the following month and then Munkustrap the month after that. I would say that Teazer is around 9/10 months as well and Bomba, Demeter and Buttface (Calia) are just over a year old with Demeter being the youngest out of all of them. Octavius is around 1yr ¾, something like that. :P**

**I'm not entirely sure I'm happy with this chapter, but I needed a chapter to prepare for the upcoming chapter which will be slightly more gruesome (and sad I'm afraid). THANK YOU FOR READING AND PLEASE REVIEW. I love you all to eternity! **


	5. Chapter 5: Twisted Nerves

_Chapter 5 – Twisted Nerves_

**Warning: There are implications of rape, character death and mature language in this chapter. Reader discretion is advised.**

* * *

It was dusk when Tugger and Rumpleteazer finally decided to move away from the gate. They had sat there all afternoon waiting on Sanza to return, wanting to ensure her safety. She had not come back.

"She might 'av chose ta' stay there anotha' noight. Don't let yer hopes get too low, Tugger!" The queen rubbed herself against him, enjoying the warmth his body gave off. It was nearing the start of winter and the Jellicles were preparing for the fierce cold that ravaged the junkyard.

The Maine Coon sniffed lightly, looking back towards the entrance. "I don't get it. Sanza doesn't lie. If she said she'd do something, she'd do it—no question about it." He sighed quietly, looking at his paws. He felt a short nudge and looked to his left, noticing that Rumpleteazer had headbutted him cheerfully.

"Oi! Always look on tha' bright side o' loife! Now come on, oim starvin'." The two slowly walked towards the dens in search of both food and any other signs of life.

A large cockroach scuttled out from beneath a box of broken toys. The wind pulsated through the area, creating a sudden chill which ruffled the fur of both felines, causing the duo to shiver simultaneously. Rumpleteazer stepped closer to the Maine Coon, attempting to use his body as a shield from the harsh wind. The tom looked at her questioningly before grinning in a flirtatious manner.

"If you wanted to get closer to me, all you had to do was ask." He winked; an action that did not go unnoticed by the queen. The calico snorted, hiding her blush by looking in the other direction.

"Ya' big lug! Ya' jus' _wish_ oi would be closer to ya'." She nudged him with her shoulder, still close in proximity.

"Maybe I do." He leant in, putting his muzzle against her ears, whispering with a seductive look in his eyes. Teazer giggled, the noise cutting through the silence of the evening.

"Oi moight jus' take ya' up on that offer."

* * *

_The Next Morning_

"Munkustrap! Over here, boy! Hurry it up, I haven't got all day!" Impatience rang through Jonahel's voice and it was obvious that he wanted the morning's patrols to be over and done with. "Munkustrap! Get here now! I won't ask again!"

The silver tabby ran up, panting heavily. "S-sorry sir! I was helping—"

"I don't give a rats ass about who you were 'helping,' I just want the job done! You want to be the Jellicle protector? Well, step up your game, son. You've got to be punctual and you've got to be able to lead. You seem to be lacking in _both_ of these skills." He glared at the young tom, hoping to intimidate him. Munkustrap stood tall and looked Jonahel in the eye, raising an eyebrow. The brown tom faltered, seemingly forgetting what he was about to say. "Well, go on then. Start your patrol. My group will patrol round the North, you do the rest."

Both parties turned in opposite directions before Jonahel turned and yelled some parting words. "One more thing, Munkustrap. I want you to go outside the perimeter of our territory as well. I'll rest well tonight knowing that Macavity isn't anywhere near us."

As soon as the current Jellicle protector wasn't in sight, Munkustrap turned to his companions. "We might as well split up. Admetus, you take the east perimeter with half of this lot; the others and I will take the west. We can meet up at the south and patrol again there. It'll be quicker and more efficient if we do it this way."

An hour or so after splitting the group, the few cats that were with Munkustrap were looking both bored and tired. Alonzo had tried to lighten the atmosphere with a few jokes and when that attempt failed, he started to discuss the queen, Bellarah.

"She's gorgeous _and_ she flirts back! It's great! What more could a tom want! She obviously wants to be with me." The patched tom proudly puffed up his chest. "I mean, it's clear that she wants to mate with me but I don't know if I'm ready for that kind of commitment yet! I'm young, handsome _and_ smart, no doubt about that, but I don't want to be stuck in something that I'd regret, y'know?"

The silver tabby looked at his friend wryly, responding in a dry manner. "Really? You're obviously a modest tom too." This caused a few sniggers from members of the group, making Alonzo roll his eyes and sniff in disdain.

"What about Cassandra?" Alonzo's pride deflated rapidly, his lower lip jutting into a pout. "I thought you liked her. Well, you certainly act like you do."

The pout remained constant on Alonzo, the expression comical on his handsome face. The group of toms walked on, Munkustrap and Alonzo taking the lead. "Well, I do. I think? She's gorgeous, but she's one of my best friends."

Munkustrap gave the patched tom a mild glare, poking him with a paw. "Wouldn't it be better that way? Anyway, I haven't seen you with her lately. Ever since Bellarah and them lot came to the yard."

Alonzo snorted loudly, an action that caused a member of the group to jump in fright. "Pah, you're one to talk. You haven't been around Sanza in ages either. You're best friends. We all heard what happened, you're both overreacting way too much. Just talk to her!"

Shaking his head and letting out a low growl, Munkustrap turned away. "You don't know what you're talking about." He tilted his head upwards, affronted. "It's a different situation. You fancy Cassandra, I just think Sanza's annoying."

Scoffing, Alonzo nudged the tabby. "Don't kid yourself, mate." The wind changed direction, causing a flood of new scents to barrage the protectors-in-training. Alonzo lifted his head, sniffing intently. "Do you smell that?" Without waiting for an answer, he ran off, causing the rest of the group to look around in bewilderment before chasing after him.

After running at full speed for almost five minutes, the group almost crashed into a now standstill Alonzo. His back was arched; his fur on end. They were standing in a deserted alleyway beside a large metal door, the back entrance to a well-known restaurant.

The patched tom sniffed once, twice and even a third time. "It smells really familiar."

Munkustrap inhaled, tasting the air. "Blood. It's blood."

The bicolour gave Munkustrap a look of condescension. "I know that, I'm not stupid." He rolled his eyes at the tom. "The other scent. Do you smell it?" When Munkustrap nodded his head, a worried expression gracing his face, Alonzo continued. "I…Munks…I think it's Sanza."

The silver cat scoffed loudly and when he next spoke, derision filled his voice. "Don't be stupid. I saw her yesterday. She'll be at the yard with Rumpleteazer, just like always."

"Fine. I hope you're right. What's got your tail in a knot anyway?" He sighed loudly. "Look, you really need to talk to each other…without any nasty comments on your part. It'll make you both happier—even a dumb pollicle could see that." He looked about quickly, his ears tilting backwards ever so slightly. "We'll need to tell Jonahel about this anyway. If there's some sort of disturbance in the area, he ought to know about it."

Munkustrap nodded, a troubled air surrounding him. He glanced back at the alleyway one last time before turning to Alonzo, masking any distress that he felt.

* * *

_"It's fucking cold in here. Why the fuck does he need it so cold?" The cat breathed out and watched the condensed water vapour float in the air for a moment._

_"Who knows? I'm just pissed that we had to move hideouts. The last one was perfectly fine…and warm." He glared at the metal door in front of them. "What do you suppose he's going to do with the queen?" As he said this, a piercing shriek filled the room, accompanied by desperate pleas. _

_"Please! Please stop M-Macavity! W-why are you doing t-this!" Loud sobs followed, the trapped queen still uttering the word 'please' through her tears. A slap was heard through the door, a low growl ensuing soon after. The begging stopped but the two cats guarding the door could still hear her heart wrenching sobbing, accompanied by both heavy breathing and other guttural noises from their superior._

_"Actually, I…er…I think I know what he's doing." He looked away, compassion filling his eyes for the slightest of seconds before they went cold. Straightening up, he looked away from the door, mentally distancing himself from the queen._

* * *

"Tugs, have you seen Sanza?" Munkustrap averted his gaze away from his oldest friend, a sheepish smile gracing his muzzle. "I…I want to speak to her."

The Maine Coon looked at Munkustrap quickly, surprise evident on his face. He then turned away, his lips set in a frigid line. "Why do you care? She's not here." He suspiciously flicked his eyes back towards Munkustrap before speeding off, looking back every so often to check if the tabby was following him.

"What? Tugs? Tugger! Where are you going?" Munkustrap yelled after him before rolling his eyes and placing a wary paw over his face. Letting out a low growl, he ran to follow the larger tom.

Not realising that he was being followed, Tugger ran into Rumpleteazer's den and began bombarding her with information, his speech coming in rapid bursts which confounded the small calico. "I think he knows. Munkustrap knows that Sanza didn't come back." He gulped air, his face an expression of panic. "He wouldn't have asked otherwise. He's mad at her, why would he ask to see her? _Why!_" He had stepped closer to Teazer, his nose almost touching hers. Flecks of spittle exited his mouth as he frantically spoke. His eyes were wide with both fear and alarm.

"Tugger! Calm down! Oi don't fink he knows! Woi would 'e?" She laid a paw on his shoulder and began nuzzling him in an attempt to calm him down.

"Well, I didn't know… until you just told me." The tabby was sitting at the den entrance with an eyebrow raised. The calico let out a slight yelp of fright whereas Tugger froze, sweat forming at his brow. "Where is she?"

The two babbled incoherently for a few moments before noticing that Munkustrap had a wild look in his eyes, a look which was badly masked by indifference.

Rumpleteazer took a deep breath before raising her eyes to the handsome tabby, raking in his appearance. "Wots it to ya'? I didn't fink ya' loiked her anymore." Tugger batted Teazer with his paw, giving a mild glare to both felines before thinking it best to tell his peer what actually happened.

"She left." Noticing Munkustrap's look of disbelief, he quickly corrected himself. "Not forever! Hell no! She just left for the night…apparently. She didn't turn up tonight though. Maybe she wanted to stay out for longer?" He gave toothy grin which fell apart as soon as he saw Munkustrap's scowl.

He regained his composure before peeking at the tom, not wanting to anger him. "She left 'cause she didn't want to talk to you. Well, she didn't want to talk to Bellarah…and she was upset about you…and me…and maybe Octavius? I don't know! It was all a bit vague!" Rumpleteazer scoffed loudly before uttering the word 'toms.'

"Shit. Shit! So she was out last night?" Munkustrap grabbed his headfur roughly. Panic filled his eyes and his lips twisted in anguish. "So it was her that Alonzo smelt. Alonzo smelt her! Fuck. Shit. What'll I do? It's all my fault! Shit." He began tugging at the fur, partially ripping it from the skin. "Damn it, I was hoping Alonzo wasn't right."

"Er, wait…wait. Straps', start again. Why was Alonzo right? What happened?" Tugger and Teazer shared a worried glance before turning back to the distraught tabby.

"We were patrolling. We were patrolling and Alonzo smelt blood and he said he thought it was Sanza. I smelt it too but I didn't know—I didn't think it could be her. She was here last night! Somebodies taken her and hurt her and it's my entire fault." His claws dug into his head, drawing blood.

Tugger—though momentarily stunned—jumped into action, jerking Munkustrap's paws away from his head. "It's no use blaming yourself, mate. All we can do now is alert the others." The silver tabby whimpered, his eyes filled with anguished tears. "Come on. Get up and we'll go find Jonahel and my dad."

They walked steadily to Deuteronomy's den in order to think about what they had to say to him. The day had suddenly gotten cold—a repeat of the day before—and the wind had started up again, thrashing wildly against the trio.

The majority of the Jellicles were either in their dens or at their owners' homes, conveniently distancing themselves from the drama that was currently unfolding. Tugger risked a glance at Munkustrap. He was muttering to himself, his shoulders hunched and gaze averted downwards. The silver tabby lifted his head slightly, turning to Tugger with his eyes wide and hopeful.

"This feels oddly like déjà vu. Maybe…maybe Sanza wasn't taken. Maybe she's slipped and fell again? I mean, we're jumping to conclusions here. Maybe another cat found her and helped her…"

"Straps, mate…it's a sad day when you start _hoping_ she fell. Look, either way, she's missing so we have to let everyone know so we can find her." He threw a pitying glance towards the tabby, watching as his head sunk lower to the floor. "Look, my dad's over there. Let's get this over with."

* * *

Tantomile snuck silently into the den, her ears flat and the corners of her mouth pulled into a grimace. She peered around the room before walking towards a white mound on a green comforter. She nuzzled it lovingly which usually resulted in a deep purr, but today the mound didn't react.

"Something's wrong. What is it?" Octavius opened one eye to peek at the queen to observe her expression. When she didn't reply, he continued prodding her for answers. "Tant', I know you. You can tell me, whatever it is." He licked her ear in adoration before giving her a meaningful look.

The queen sat quiet for a moment. The only sound in the room was the lulling breathing of Octavius.

"It's Sanza." She listened as Octavius' breathing quickened. The tom looked at her as if to tell her to continue. "We think that Macavity has taken her. Last night—"

Octavius cut her off harshly. "Last night? Where the hell was she last night? You told me she was here!" His breathing became laboured. He moved one of his physically-able limbs to cradle his face as he moaned in torment. "Why would she leave?"

Tantomile pulled his paws away from his face and covered them with her own. The queen had tears lingering in her eyes which she ignored, choosing to take care of her lover instead. The tom muttered profanities to himself whilst eyeing the female with a mixture of ferocity and a deep sorrow. She petted him on his paws, eyeballing Octavius before licking him gently on the side of his muzzle.

"He'll torture her, you know. Macavity will use her to hurt the rest of the tribe. He won't kill her—not yet, at least." His lips twisted and tears of frustration fell down his face. Tantomile nuzzled him, wiping away any evidence of the tears. He nuzzled her back quickly before continuing. "She won't be the same when she gets back—if she gets back. She'll be broken—like Demeter."

A lingering sigh hung in the air. "Tant', if I wasn't crippled, I'd go. You know that, right? I would never leave her in the paws of that psychopath—I wouldn't have left her with him even when we were friends."

"Oh love, what'll we do?"

* * *

_One Month Later_

"Are you not nervous? I'm bloody nervous and mine's next month. I can't believe your oath is today and the ball is right after—our first ball. What'd you think it'll be like?" The excited adolescent sobered suddenly. "It won't be the same without her."

The Maine Coon licked a leopard-printed paw and sent a pointed look to his friend. "It won't—she was always the life of the party. We can't do anything about it until Jonahel finds out where Macavity's lair is anyway; he's been keeping it well hidden." He snorted in irony. "It's no wonder they call him The Hidden Paw."

Munkustrap shivered in response before brightening the conversation. "So are you ready for it—your oath?"

Tugger laughed loudly, a whooping yell. "Straps, mate; I was _born_ ready. I mean, Deuteronomy _is_ my father and…well…I'm _me._" He turned his attention to his other paw.

The silver tabby snorted whilst rolling his eyes in a sarcastic manner. Munkustrap bid his friend goodbye and good luck, walking away through the crowds. Tugger watched him leave before turning towards the tyre where his father and Gus spent the majority of their time together.

"Are you ready, my son?" Deuteronomy didn't wait for an answer, instead choosing to turn towards the Jellicles. "Hush now. The oath ceremony shall henceforth begin. To start, we must place the ceremonial catnip beside our oath-taker." He placed the small bowl of catnip near his son before speaking once more.

"Everlasting Cat, hear this oath and let this feline become both an adult and Jellicle on this joyful day. Let him protect and be protected." He glanced towards his son. "You may begin."

"I, _the _Rum Tum Tugger, solemnly swear to protect my family and friends—the Jellicles—in their time of need, pain and helplessness. I swear to aid them in illness or injury, mentally or physically. I swear to look after them, to cherish them and to not harm them. I swear to the Everlasting Cat." Bowing, he took his paw from his chest and laid it in the sacred catnip. He then proceeded to place his paw on a large tyre which was used in both oath ceremonies and the ascension to the Heaviside Layer.

It was done. He had completed it. The others just needed to fulfil their part of the oath ceremony for it to be completely over.

"We solemnly swear that the Rum Tum Tugger will be held to his oath in times of great need. We swear it to the Everlasting Cat."

Deuteronomy walked to his son, placing his paw in the same catnip that Tugger had done only moments ago. He gently swiped his paw across Tuggers brow—to which the Maine Coon made a face—and whispered lovingly. "Well done, my son. You have made me _so _proud."

It was finished. He was oath bound.

* * *

The ball following the oath ceremony went on with great enthusiasm from the Jellicles. It was felt that the ball was a much needed escape from the abduction that had occurred the previous month. Music was flowing and the Jellicle's danced their way through the night. At present, it was halfway through Gus' number and Tugger was sitting next to Munkustrap with a satisfied smirk on his face.

The two sat quietly for a moment, listening to the lulling tremors of Gus' voice. Munkustrap twitched his tail once, a quick and almost unnoticeable movement. The Maine Coon noticed his change in temperament and raised an eyebrow.

"You know, you can take that smile off your face. It's getting kind of creepy." Looking at Gus, Munkustrap made no motion of turning to his friend.

"What? How on earth did you see it? You aren't even looking at me?" Tugger peered suspiciously at Munkustrap before changing the topic. "Whatever, I already knew you were a creep. What's up?"

The tabby scoffed; the noise cutting through the song. He stepped back into the shadows, letting the silent blame and accusatory glares of the other Jellicle's settle on the darkness. He began whispering quietly, unwilling to ruin the song any more than he already had.

"It's just…we all talked about it…all three of us, all of the time. About how amazing the ball was going to be, just the three of us. I…It's just not the same without her. Don't get me wrong, it's amazing and so much fun, but I can't help but feel that it'd be even better with her here."

Tugger's upturned lips turned down, dejected. "I know, Straps. I know." He turned away quickly, his eyes setting on Bombalurina. "Enough of this sad talk, we'll get her back someday. Anyway, do you see Bomba over there? She's rejecting all my advances. I'm thinking I need to resort to desperate measures."

A choking laugh came from the silver tom, resulting in him lying on the floor, cackling uncontrollably. "Y-you already tried that! It didn't work! How many other plans do you have to get her to like you?" He was silent for a moment, before bursting into another fit of laughter. "You're whipped!"

The merriment in the air was short-lived. A flash of lightening filled the air, followed by a maniacal laugh. The Jellicles looked towards the sky in fear, unaware that another feline had entered the scene.

The cat stalked through the shadows until he had reached the highest point of the yard where everyone could see him. The tribes' eyes were roaming the sky, searching for whatever it was that had caused the lightening. Those who spotted him let out loud gasps and began cowering in fear. He smirked inwardly.

"I'm surprised you're still continuing on with this charade. All this "Heaviside Layer" nonsense—don't you all realise? It's not true. It's madness, shielding you all from the truth." He looked around, noting that the rest of the felines had spotted him and that they had a mixture of anger and fear in their gazes.

"I just came to tell you that the clock is ticking—your little Jellicle has only a few meagre months left in her already short, pathetic life. If you still haven't reclaimed the poor, tortured young queen by next month, I'll be taking another one of you. Maybe this next one won't live as long."

Macavity turned to leave, an ominous aura surrounding him. Backtracking, he turned to face the Jellicles once more, fixing Munkustrap with his dark gaze, as if he could see him through the shadows.

"For my _dear_ brother Munkustrap—you have four months to collect the queen before she dies. I would hurry though—with each passing day, titbits of her soul are ripped from her. Either way, she won't be the same little kitten she was when she left the yard." He swept out of the yard, flashing lights illuminating the disappearing act which left the Jellicles gaping in awe and horror.

The felines were suddenly frantic, rushing about in utmost terror. More than one had cornered Jonahel in order to question him about his next line of attack. Deuteronomy was in a similar position at the other side of the yard. Alonzo practically dragged Cassandra to safety whilst Bellarah sat watching where Macavity disappeared, an incomprehensible expression on her face.

Munkustrap and Tugger ran through a large pipe to a hidden nook deep within a junk pile. They observed each other, noting that they were both breathing heavily.

"Shit."

* * *

_2 Months Later_

The Jellicle tribe were in a panic once more. They had recently discovered that another of the cats had been taken. Poor Tantomile had walked into her den to find that Octavius had disappeared. Knowing that he was unable to exit the den without supervision, she immediately ran to her brother for guidance.

The tom was found kneading his claws against an old newspaper before flicking his tail and curling up, ready to sleep. Tantomile stood watching him for a few moments, jolting back to reality when she heard Coricopat's voice inside her head.

_What is upsetting you? You look somewhat…manic. _The tom grinned impishly before noticing the look on his twin's face.

_Show me. _The queen opened her mind towards her brother, allowing him to see the images that had been plaguing her mind ever since the accident. The final scene she showed Coricopat was the empty den she had found earlier that day, the floor stained with blood.

_I see. We must go to Deuteronomy. This is, I believe, the work of Macavity."_

* * *

The cell was dark and felt mildly damp. Though it was obscure, the white tom could clearly see the bars surrounding him, keeping him locked inside. The bars only covered three sides as there was a stone wall behind him, moss growing in the cracks and faint blood stains splattered across it. Looking down, Octavius noted that the floor had similar stains.

There was a noise, a rustle, from the corner of the prison cell. Flicking his ear, the tom looked around and found a tiny white lump huddled in the corner. It was stirring, snuffling softly. Octavius blinked slowly, trying to regain his bearings, wondering how he got there.

The flashbacks came to him soon after. With a jolt, he regained some of the memories that he had blocked from his mind.

_"He said get the tom. He didn't say to kill him!" A gruff voice broke the silence of the den, waking up Octavius as he did so. _

_Another voice piped in soon after, this one slightly higher pitched, leading him to believe it was a female. "I know, I know. He didn't say we couldn't have a little fun though, did he? Who cares if he's a little bruised and battered by the time Mac gets to him." The tom bristled at the ex-Jellicles nickname, preparing to yell for help._

_Before he could holler, he felt a sharp claw slide down the side of his face which making him wince in agony. A harsh whisper reached his ear, "Time for a little fun, pretty boy." The tom was too wrapped up in terror to make any noise that was higher than a low whimper, thus halting anyone to come to his rescue._

_The henchcats slowly tortured him, using their claws to break the skin and allowing him to slowly bleed out. Blood stained his white coat and the dusty floor beneath them. Octavius wavered between consciousness's, praying to the Everlasting Cat that the torment would soon end. The unnamed queen was the worst, inflicting more pain than the tom who kept back during most of the brutality. The queen worked slowly, finding his weak spots. In her jaws, she took hold of one of his ears and pulled, ripping the ear from his skull. Octavius squeaked loudly, grunting in pain, even in his semi-conscious state._

_"Are you finished? I doubt The Hidden Paw will be happy that you've practically mutilated the tom. He wanted to do that job himself." _

_The queen growled softly, baring her teeth at the tom. "Yes, yes. You're a pain in the arse, why can't I have more fun? We've gotta knock him out though…I don't want him waking up and yelling for help." The tom grinned in agreement before grabbing an old frying pan in his jaws and whacking Octavius over the head with it._

_ Once. Twice. The tom slammed the pan over Octavius' skull once more, causing the queen to giggle loudly and the Turkish Angora to groan loudly before falling completely unconscious, blood staining his face._

Back to reality, Octavius shook his head, wincing from the sudden explosion of pain that wracked his body.

"Tavius'? Octavius? Is that you? Did…did they kidnap you as well? Are you alright?" He looked up and saw that the white lump was his sister. He gasped, wide-eyed.

"Sanz'? You're alive? Oh Everlasting Cat! We thought you were dead! We'd hoped…prayed…that he hadn't killed you. That you were still alive. Heaviside Layer, I'm glad you're alive." He moved forward slightly, the same time Sanza did, before halting a meter away from each other.

"I should've known he'd do this." He glared pointedly at the chain wrapped around his leg. It jangled lightly as he attempted to pull himself forward using his front paws. He watched as Sanza tugged at the identical chain around her hind leg. "I knew it. There was no way that he was going to let us comfort each other." The queen smiled tightly, before looking fearfully at the door.

"He'll come back soon, 'Tavius. He always does. I don't think you being here is a good sign either…from…from what he's done to you…and what he's done to me. I can only think that he's got worse planned."

The tom took a moment to study his sister and noticed that she looked almost as bad as he felt. Blood and dust matted her coat and her eyes took a milky quality which was similar to that of blind cats. She was thin, so thin in fact that her ribs stuck out from underneath the dishevelled fur and one of her ears had been torn viciously.

She had a healing scar across the bridge of her nose which had obviously bled profusely as the bottom half of her muzzle was a dark red, contrasting greatly with her dusty coat.

"What's he been doing to you Sanz'?" She gazed up at him, her eyes slightly unfocused.

"He…he…he's been—" The queen wasn't able to finish her sentence as they heard a door open and close. They froze, watching The Napoleon of Crime walk through the corridor to the cage, humming tunelessly; hauntingly.

He opened the cage, picking the lock with a sharp claw. He became silent as he padded into the cell, every so often sending a lust-filled gaze towards Sanza, who shrunk back towards the grimy wall.

"Well, it isn't often that I have two playthings in one cell. This'll be fun. How are you Octavius, old friend? Did you enjoy the company of my colleagues?" He tutted lightly as he observed Octavius' reaction, watching his eyes darken with hate. "Now, now. Lighten up; it was only a bit of fun!"

Smirking menacingly, he sauntered over to Sanza and stroked her face softly. "Have you told your brother about how much_ fun_ we've been having together? _All alone in this cell_." She whimpered, shrinking back even further, her ears flat against her head in terror. He moved his head closer to hers, his muzzle by her ear. He lowered his voice so only she could hear. "The fun is only just beginning though, love."

He sent a maniacal grin towards Octavius, flashing his sharp teeth. "Do you want me to show you how much fun we've been having?" He yanked Sanza away from the wall with one of his paws and pulled her underneath him, looking into Octavius' eyes all the while.

Sanza whimpered prayers under her breath, pleading with Macavity to stop the torture. Octavius struggled with the chain as much as he could; knowing deep down that he would be unable to save Sanza due to his paralysis. He pulled himself as far as he could with his front paws, yelling and hissing at Macavity to stop.

The Napoleon of Crime just laughed; a deep, throaty noise filled with utter joy which repulsed Octavius down to his very core. He grinned wildly, his eyes wide with ecstasy. He grunted as his eyes closed briefly, signifying the end of this wave of abuse.

"Until next time, my sweet." He sent one last feral grin towards Octavius before slowly padding out of the room, only to resume humming his eerie tune.

* * *

Tantomile slunk towards her den softly, wet tears streaming down her face and coating her muzzle. She'd been crying a lot recently, tears starting whenever she was reminded of her love. Octavius had only been gone for a couple of weeks, yet it felt like he had been missing for months.

_Everlasting Cat, I hope he's okay. I don't know what I'd do without him._

She stopped by the doorway of the den. Something wasn't right. She sniffed, checking for any strange smells. If anything, it smelt almost exactly the way it did before except there was a presence in the room. A new entity. She raised her head again, inhaling deeply.

Familiarity. "Octavius? 'Tavius? Is that you in there? Are…are you back? Did…did…Macavity let you go?" She took another cautious step inside the den, her tail flicking slightly.

_Why isn't he answering? He's in there…isn't he?_

"Octavius, please!" The queen continued walking into the den, her movements quiet and somewhat jolted with a mixture of fear and excitement. Rounding the corner, she saw a battered white mound facing away from her. She let out a sigh of relief. She trotted towards him, intending to nuzzle him lovingly.

However, as she reached him, she soon realised that Octavius was not breathing. He was lying on an old blanket soaked with blood, a note carved deep into his side.

Tantomile gave a bloodcurdling scream of pure terror, tears streaming down her face as she read the note that was carved into the lifeless body of her mate.

_Tick tock, time's nearly up. One month. Choose your actions wisely._

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for th****e long wait guys. I had to build up some courage before I wrote this chapter. As you can tell, it's pretty gruesome. Thanks for reading 3**


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